Detachable vehicle wheel



Oct 30, 1951. w. R. WHITEHEAD DETACHABLE VEHICLE WHEEL 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 5, 1948 Oct. 30, 1951 w. R. wHlTl-:Hl-:AD 2,573,079

DETACHABLE VEHICLE WHEEL Filed Aug. 5, 1948 s sheets-sheet 2 -OCt- 305 1951 w. R. wHlTEHEAD DETACHABLE VEHICLE WHEEL 3 sheets-sheet :s

Filed Aug. 5, 1948 /fl venor v NHLTER BOY NHITEHEHD Patented Oct. 30, 1951 2;?730'19 DnTAGHABL-.E vvement: :WHEEL Walter Botfwiiitehead, Giilieehemitiielaee as claims.- (01.301779) This intention 4reliitet te detetliietie telitle wheels.; 'with mere fleertieuie'r. `reifereeee "te .meent fer attaching pneuinetie tyre@ Wheels. et reeel. vehicles -te. their reeeeetiveeiilee breite titille-S. liebe er equivalent etety meen-.tinge Customarily sneh .attachment is` .effected 'by rewriting -eeiehr VWheel. en .a plurality ef, Stime nroieetirie v.fiere the breite.. drum. "letting being thereafter @crewed te te the Stede- 'e dieeiiventeeeefthie 'methedlies inthe time @tijd folft .rqlilfedftg Unr? @nd mma-CS? With um' form tightness allthe locking nuts wheneyera wheel change. is., neeeeeitetef Q11? 9105601? Ufthe Pl-QSQT inverni@ .S'tO PIP* vide arrangement .enabling ,the wheel te. be Seeured'or deteeliedby a rapiti eperetietl While a .iurther ebjeetiete ieiiiiiiiiiite"the necessity ef detachable'parts suhars theoonventional locking nuts.

Wheel attaching--means-according to the vinvention comprise a conical or "inclined lead -or leads'on the-'axleffbrake drum, -hubeor yequivalent toguide the-Wheel1r toa central-position on-seurement, lateralfprojeotionsffromthe brake drum or equivalent Aaugiapted tto fengage corresponding aperturesin thewheel :toatransmit torque'thereof, andfvslidable locking meansiforseelirin'g thel Wheel innpositionnonnthe brakedrum or equivalent preterably :by the ioperation of :a single loekng member.

4Preferably :the flocking :means iconsists of a rotatable enigmas/ing .outwardly .moiectineslockz ine Segments, .in :which case .:the inner periphery of .the -wheeliie Imespendinely interruptedetp pate einer ti-.ie 'letting eine :segments Y. i...11f1-.i.ne.at: taehnieet, .e1-1d .Suele interriittiene may emiteneltlly @159 @0e-999mm i with h@ @1319 .a'transm* tiriepreie t' .n.S en the .brake .drim er esi-.tival .ii-tf Wtllllh 'el' lolg 11mg. is fffmR-IDYQQ, lili@ wheel centralising lead is preferably .oflconical shape- .ana it may ect upon them-tempted@ eer peripheral ,.Speke V0.1 Segment 'Der-tient 0f uit? wneeL-.or it may-be `formed. on the torque trans,- mii-,tingA projectionssoas. to act nponthemangins of thecorrspongiing apertures in the .wheel.

The locking,r ring 'maybe permanently retained 01.1 the .brake .0f equivalent-brain annuler iienee. `essentiels' "beine leieeteel either by A the `flange .after thefriltie .hesieeenl Dieeedlinpee tien or .by employinga splitrine, orlitiiiieybe retained pyfinwardly girected lips .Qn'the torgil'e transmittmg prpieetiene..

The leading edges n.ef 'theiefekiiie ring eee:-

mentain the @lireetienef leekilie'tiiay be mier vided u be :mere easily :engaged and etfeetiyel? streed faces rso` that "the wheel mayv 2 inte;- abutment `with,theSerale@ drum. erf-equivalent 0n. rotation. .oi therme to the 4locked. petitie@ from. releaseppeitien:Whereit does not ehetriiet. remet/.elet the wheele., preferred embediment the torete trailer. mittinenreieetiene@teniet/idee en brake'siiiim. en@ .areeiurnieheii with inwardly directed v1 adapted tefembiece .0r-eterne the letliiieie. eeemeiiteendte eefepeiete. therewith. iii laterally Seeuriiie the'wiieel. tetheereke drum.-

-Ttie :ieekiiie -riiie aeeneete .ee-tutt etes eet.: Stentieily eeiiel te. the-eeh 4tiet. 'feieetet there these eeeupied by te interdit Yditeeted live eed botti, ere Wisier inte'fveiie' eerie, Whieii eeeemmedite the etti-eel Segmente?" yit acti Jock" g ringseg'inent' to e bei? 'ef iiee 'with e 4Wiieei bridge' en' by' wey ef exemple Witiil teferefiee te the eeeeiii nenyin'siravringsin which Fig. 1` an elevation ofthe wheel andlnbwitn th hub .cap removed ,and tlie Aoeking .ring

locked position,

Figi 2 isa .section alonelthelne 1.1.-11 `of-.Fign l and shows the'hub cap ifi poS'itio Fie 3 -Stiewe .theiaekine Yring separately@ elevation,

to and @meetelt .with the trete tiem "4 and: recessed .in .e .eerreeperidmg 'greove 8' in V.the fefe ofthe brake 'drum to' Wijiichit is' secured4 by means Steh es :Screw-.S lheplerleieetieriettiene Y`"fiiif nitriet et eeeh elle Withfieeiiel .teteiie tieeemitf tine 'feees gl endheveinweldly direetediiesll edeptedte Aerebieeje'.e overlie' the Otter* .editions et edieliseeixieiiteit @ef'ieleekiee :rite .Ornate |`3 and to co-opkeiate-'(tlvxeretlithl insecnringjthe Wheel by its' -Seeiilleite .3' te tile 'breite delle bush I4 encircling the hub 5 and flanged at I5 for attachment to the brake drum by screws I6 and the locking ring is retained on the bush I4, both in the locking and release positions, by the lips Il which overlie its segments I2.

The locking ring segments I2 occupy arcs which may be substantially equal to, though not greater than, those occupied by the projections 6, and in the embodiment illustrated, the inwardly directed lips II on the projections 6, extend over a wider arc than the gaps between the lips which accommodate the wheel segments 3. It is thus possible for each locking ring segment to bridge an adjoining pair of lips I I with a wheel segment therebetween and thereby provide a very rigid securement, while when rotated to the release position the locking ring segments I2 are lapped by such lips so as to leave the gaps unobstructed for the removal of the wheel.

The torque transmitting projections 6 are provided on their outer faces with conical lead surfaces I'I which act on the centralising edges I9 of the wheel between the wheel segments 3 and thereby lead the wheel to the central locating surface I8 when it is being mounted. The surfaces I'I are beaded at 20 to retain the re-entrant resilient flange 2| of a hub cab 22 (Fig. 2).

To detach the wheel the hub cap 22 is rst removed and the locking ring I3, which is shown in the locking position in Fig. 1, is rotated anticlockwise through an appropriate angle to bring its segments I2 entirely under the lips II and at the same time uncover the wheel segments 3; the wheel I is thus free to be moved axially away from the brake drum, the segments 3 moving outwardly between the torque-transmitting faces I of the projections. When a wheel is to be mounted, the reverse procedure is adopted, the centralising edges I9 of the wheel being guided by the conical surfaces I1 to a central position against the face of the brake drum, the wheel segments 3 tting between the projections 6 and the segments I2 of the locking ring. The locking ring is then rotated clockwise to cover and secure the wheel segments 3, the segments I2 each having an inclined face (not shown) which enables the wheel segment to be wedged tight between the segment I2 bridging two adjacent lips I I and the drum 4 and thus provide rigid securement of the wheel.

In the example shown, the locking ring is retained in the locked position by a pair of spring pawls 24 mounted on the brake drum 4 by screws 25. The free ends 26 of these pawls spring outwardly when uncovered by the trailing edges of the locking ring segments I2 during movement thereof to the locking position and thus prevent said edges moving back accidentally to release the wheel.

Thus to release the wheel for replacement, both pawl ends 26 must be depressed simultaneously to permit anti-clockwise rotation of the locking ring, and a suitable tool for effecting this, while also overcoming the resistance of the tightly wedged locking ring, is shown in Fig. 4. Such tool comprises a tubular body 30 having at one end a tommy bar or handle 3| and at the other end four dogs 32 adapted to fit between the locking ring segments when in use. To release the wheel, the tool is placed in position and pressed against the wheel assembly so that two of the dogs 32 force back the spring pawls 24 out of engagement with the ring segments I2, when the tool can be rotated in an anticlockwise direction and takes with it .the locking ring I3 to release the wheel. For locking, the tool is rotated in the opposite direction sufliciently for the pawls to spring outwardly behind the locking ring segments.

It will be appreciated that in the arrangement shown the locking ring I3 is retained permanently by the lips II, from which it cannot escape in any position. Therefore on the initial assembly of the device the bush I4 must first be screwed on the brake drum, the locking ring I3 being then rotatably positioned thereon, and nally the ring I with the torque transmitting projections 6 is screwed on to the brake drum with the lips I I embracing the locking ring segments I2.

In place of or in addition to the arrangement just described, the locking ringmay, as shown in Fig. 5, be retained by a ange 2II formed on a .bush 2 I4 equivalent to the bush I4, such flange preferably having its inner face stepped or intermittently inclined as at 2I|l to co-operate with the locking segments I2 in clamping the locking ring when the latter is wedged in the locking position. With the latter arrangement the lips ,Il may, if desired and as shown, be omitted and be entirely replaced by the said flange.

In the embodiment described, accidental movement of the locking ring beyond the locking position is conveniently prevented by the wedging action of the inclined faces of the locking ring. but such movement may be prevented by any suitable fixed or detent stop.

The present invention provides an improved simple and robust arrangement which enables a wheel to be secured or detached by a rapid operation and which eliminates the necessity for loose securing members.. The arrangements also may be such as to permit the use of a simple disc l wheel having no moving parts.

What I claim is:

1. Means for securing ya detachable vehicle wheel to a rotary mounting, comprising an inclined lead on the mounting to guide the wheel to a central position on securement, lateral projections extending from the rotary mounting and fast therewith and adapted to engage corresponding apertures.- in the wheel to transmit torque thereto, and locking means carried by the ro- -tary mounting and adapted, by rotary movement in a plane normal to the axis of the rotary mounting, to' pass fromv a release position, in which the locking means does not obstruct removal of the wheel but remains on the mounting after such removal, to a locking position between retaining abutment means provided for the purpose on the rotary mounting and appropriate portions of the wheel, in which latter position said locking means secures the wheel on its mounting.

2. Wheel securing means according to claim 1 wherein the retaining abutment means are inwardly directed lips formed on the torque transmitting projections of the rotary mounting.

3. Wheel securing means according to claim 1 wherein the locking means is constituted :by locking segments formed on a rotatable ring and projecting radially outwards therefrom, the inner periphery of the wheel being correspondingly interrupted to pass over the locking ring segments during attachment and detachment.

4. Wheel securing means according to claim 3 -wherein theV interruptions in the whee1 inner periphery constitute the apertures co-operating with the torque transmitting projections on the rotary mounting, the uninterrupted inner 'peripheral portions of the wheel forming inwardly extending spoke-like wheel segments which t between such projections and are secured by the locking ring in its locking position.

5. Wheel securing means according to claim 4 wherein the torque transmitting projections are part-circular and have on their outer peripheries conical lead surfaces which co-operate with corresponding circular centralizing edges of the interruptions in the wheel to guide the wheel to an accurately located position against the mounting.

6. Wheel securing means according to claim 5 wherein the segments of the locking ring occupy a Wider arc than the gaps between retaining abutment lips, so that in the locking postion each locking segment .bridges a pair of adjacent retaining abutment lips with a wheel segment therebetween to effect rigid securement of the wheel.

7. Wheel securing means according to claim 6 wherein the trailing edge of at least one of the locking segments, in the locking direction, cooperates with a spring detent which is free to move outwardly when uncovered by said locking segments, on the locking position being reached, and requires to be released before the locking ring can be moved from its locking position.

8. Wheel securing means as claimed in claim 7, and means for actuating the locking ring of the said locking means comprising a shank, an operating handle and dog teeth at one end of the shank adapted to fit between the locking segments for the operation of the ring in either direction and to depress the spring detent inwardly for movement from the locking position.

WALTER ROY WHITEHEAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

